Adjustable dental tray for making artificial dentures



Dec. 25, 1951 Jj R ON 2,579,965

ADJUSTABLE DENTAL TRAY FOR MAKING ARTIFICIAL DENTURES Filed Sept. 29, 1950 Joseph "4 Eobinson IN V EN TOR.

BY 7 1 WW .4 TTORNE) Patented Dec. 25, 1951 hr OFFICE] n TAL may FOR ARTIFICIAL DEN'EURES foseph-WQ Roliinson, i renton, N. J.

- hppiitatitnSeptem-her 29, 1950, serial No; 158%49'1 intention rel-at to equipment and incl-lion'sfor the manufacture or artificial teeth,

or'dentnres.

One of tlie -prineipal oleieet's of the presentim ve'ntionis to: provide adios-table and positive means whereby artificial teeth can be located 7 in the denture plate-in the-natural positions re1ative to the jaw boneoccupied by the original teeth, thus insuring the direct support of: the jaw bone in biting;

Another important ohi'ect of this invention is to" provide means wherehy' only a single- WEI/X impression of a; gunr and mouth roof will benecessary instead of two or more'as' required with reviousa paratus and methods in producing dentures; I r

A- further object of'thi's invention is to provide a tra 'with which the waximpression can be made" quickly and without the use of excess wax; in that thetray can befitted exactly tothe impression of thdpe'r'soh fofwhom artificial teeth are to be made; thus requiring" less time and material; aswell as affording better" fitting of the teeth, and less inconvenience to the person for whom the dentures-are to he made.

A still further obieet' of the present invention to provideineans whereby the artificial plate and teeth can be inadef without first making a wax impression. This'ds accomplished by using a hardenihgtype" of piastic' material in making the grim and mouth roof impressions; instead or wax.

other objects arid advantages or the resent invention wil-l appear from the following speci fieatfo rl accom anying drawings illustrating certain embodiments of myinvention; in which: i "Fig.- 1 is a perspective view showing arr-adjustable tray for the upper: denture plate and a plaster cast having therein a: bite impression to which the tray is to be adjusted and conformed.

Fig. 2 is a: top plan view of the tray-shown in Fig.1?

Fig 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and showing the manner of-fi-tting the tray over the plaster form-ofa gum, W

Fig. his a sectional view similar. to Fig. 3, but showing in the tray a gum and mouth impression made of: wax or a Hardening plastic material Fig; 5 is an enlarged bottom pian view of a portion or the tray'showifig" one of the" apertures forthe" artificial teeth. M

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of one or the apertures shown in Fig. 3

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but showing tooth fill aperture. v dis-Kai sectional; view' showing the manner of making six/plaster cast ot the biteof a person for whom artificial: teeth are tobe made.

Fig, 9;. is a, perspective view similar to Fig.- l,

a 2 but showing an adjustable tray for the lower: denture plate.-

Referring to the drawings in which like numer als designate like parts in the several views; the tray Ill is formedf-rom sheet steel or'otl ie-rhighly resilient and strong material with U-shaped walls, as viewed in top plan,- and-having around the inside of its closed end a groove H Before the tray is pressed intothe dbme l ike for-hi shown in the drawings; the inner portions of the sheet from which it isformed are slitted to form overlapping leaves l2. The tray with the groove H- conforms generally to the contour of a" mouthroof and upper gum. The tray it is adjus-talole to a plaster form it, which may be produced by the bite of aperson against moist plaster con-= tained in a bag l6, as shown in Fig. 8. The bag may be made of thin leather or other suitable material having a thickness equal to'that of the tray it), open at one end and having a zipper Fl; or other type of closure device.

Apertures It? for teeth 20 are formed in the bottom of the groove H with small integral, spring fingers depending from the sides of the apertures to grip the sides of the teeth, which are placed in the apertures before any wax or other material for a mouth and gum impression is placed the tray;

After the tray lciotto'rri- 24 is adjusted over the form M, the leaves It are locked together in rigid position by means of thin, resilient strips 2'6 and 28, which ma be sna ped together at their ends by means of the curved end to of the strip 28 under which the free end'oi strip 2'5 may be forced. Opposed, threaded rods 32 are transversely mounted in the wall portions 34 o-t'the tray l0, and a threaded sleeve 36 is adapted to be threadedonto one of the rods while the tray is being adjusted; and thenpartially threaded onto the otherrod to hold the resilient wall of the tray in adjusted position. The overlapping portions of the leaves l2 and also the contact portions of the strips 28 and '28- may he roughened, as indicated at 38, to aid against relative slipping of the contact surfaces. The tray ill is provided with a handle 49, which in the form of the invention illustrated, is a continuation of the looking strip 26, but it may be made separately therefrom.

When it is desired to make a wax impression of theupper mouth roof and gum, the plaster form 14 of a gum of the person for whom artificial teeth are to be produced is first made by filling the bag. It with. moist plaster dust and having the person bite against the wall of the bag,- as

shown in Fig. 8. This forms a precise impression 42 of the upper gum 44 and roof mouth 46, and also an impression 48- of the lower gum 50; the latter being utilized in making the lower denture, as will later be explained. After the plaster hardens, the zipper l! or other closing means at one end of the bag I6 is unfastened and the plaster form l4, having the bite impressions, is removed from the bag. With the sleeve 36 on one of the rods 32 to permit freedom of movement of wall portions 34 of tray [0, and with the resilient locking strips 28 and 28 disconnected from each other, the tray I is placed over the impression 42 in the plaster form l4, and the leaves 12 of the tray, which, as heretofore explained, are very thin, are pressed against the form and adjusted until the leaves I2 conform to the surfaces of the impression. Then, the locking strips 26 and 28 are snapped together and the free end of sleeve 36 threaded onto the free end of the adjacent rod 32, thereby locking the leaves I2 and the wall of the tray in rigid, adjusted position. The actual teeth 20 to be used in the upper denture, or plate, are inserted in the apertures it from the inner side of tray [0 and aligned by suitable means, such, for example, as resting their outer ends on a plane surface 52, as shown in Fig. 4. The ends 54 of the teeth 2!! in their final positions, project inside the bottom of the floor 24 of tray l0, so that the ends will be embedded in the wax or plastic impression to be formed by a bite of the same person who made the plaster form impression. The spring fingers 22 hold the teeth securely in the apertures I8.

If a wax impression of the upper gum an mouth roof is to be formed only for the purpose of making a mold for the final denture, a limited quantity of wax 55 is placed in the tray 10, as shown in Fig. 4. The person, for whom the denture is to be made, and who made the impression for the plaster form M, will then bite into the wax and form the impression shown in Fig. 4. The openings l8 for the teeth fit'are on the crest line of the groove ll of tray IE) conforming generally to the curve of an upper gum, and when the tray I0 is adjusted over the form M the teeth 28 will be forced into positions corresponding approximately to the positions occupied by the natural teeth of the person by whom the impressions of the form M was made. The thickness of the wall of the bag It, being approximately the same as that of the wall portion of the tray 10, compensates for the thickness of the inner portion 51 of the wax 55 (Fig. 4) and causes the impression in the wax to conform to that of the plaster form, without alter ing the proper position of the teeth at the crest of the gum portion. Thus, when the wax impression is removed from the tray'together with the teeth 29, the teeth will be in the correct position, so that when molded into the final denture, they will each occupy approximately the same position relative to the gum and jaw bone occupied by the corresponding natural teeth of the person for whom the plate or denture is to be made.

One of the greatest disadvantages of artificial teeth has been the necessity of making several wax impressions and finally getting the teeth set either outside or inside the center line of the jaw bone, in which position they tend to tip the denture forward or backward, when a firm bite is attempted. This condition is particularly objectionable in the front teeth. uch misplacement of the teeth is prevented by the present invention in which the teeth are initially adjusted to their proper positions, and only one wax impression is required, thus maintaining the precision of placement of the teeth.

A permanent plate or denture may be made, as shown in Fig. 4, by substituting plastic material of a hardening type for the wax 56. The method of making a permanent plate is in all respects the same as making a wax impression having the teeth therein, except in the use of a hardening plastic material. i a a The tray 58 shown in Fig. 9 is similar to tray l0, but is designed for use in producing a denture for the lower gums. It, also, is pressed from a thin sheet of steel or other highly resilient and strong material into a form having U-shaped walls 60, as viewed in top plan, and having a groove 62 around the closed end of the walls corresponding to the contour of a lower gum. The inner edges of the sheet from which the tray 58 is made are slitted to form overlapping leaves 64; and transverseopposedrods 6B are mounted in the front ends of wall portions ,60 in the same manner as the rods 32 of the tray 10. ;,A threaded sleeve 68 is mounted on one ofthe rods 66 and is adapted to be threaded ontothe end of the other rod after the leaves 64 have been adjusted over the impression 48 of a lower gum in the plaster form M. A resilient, inner locking strip 10 has curved ends 12, which areadapted to snap over the free ends of an outer locking strip 14 to lock the leaves 64 together after the tray has been adjusted. The tray 58 is open in its interior portion for the reason that it is intended only to form an impression of the lower gum.

In making an impression either in wax or in a hardening plastic material, the teeth are placed in the apertures 16 and then the wax or other material for making the impression of the lower gum is inserted in the tray, so that the person who made the impression 48in the plaster mass for the form [4, can make the wax or plastic material impression by biting into the material in the tray. As with the. tray I0, the roughened edges 18 of the leaves 64 and the engagement of the sleeve 68 with the ends of the rods 66 hold the tray 58 in rigid, adjusted position, with the teeth (not shown) in correct position while the wax or plastic impression is being made. A handle is attached to the tray 58.

Oppositely arranged hooks 82 or other suitable latches are attached to the opposite wall portions 34 of tray I0 and are adapted to engage outwardly projecting ends 84 of the rods 66 of tray 58 for, the purpose of clamping the two trays together when it is desired to check the relative positions of the upper and lower teeth after their insertion in the trays,

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the single plaster form [4 with its upper and lower impressions .42 and 48, respectively,

is used in adjusting both the tray w and the tray 58 for the wax or plastic impresssion. The walls of both trays are of approximately the same thickness as that of the bag [6 used in making the plaster form l4.

It will also be obvious from the foregoing de scription that each of the trays l0 and 58 can be used either for making a wax impression or a mouth and gum with the actual teeth in proper placement in the impression, or to make the final upper and lower dentures or plates with the teeth in proper placement by using a hardening plastic material, instead of wax, in making the impression.

Various changes in the construction and'arrangement of the parts comprising myimproved tray may be made within the spirit and s.ope of my invention, and it is, therefore, to be understood that the fo'rms'bf the invention shown and described are illustrative only, and not res-trictive thereto.

I claim:

1. An adjustable dental tray for making artificial dentures comprising a receptacle, made of thin, resilient material, having a U -shaped Wall and a groove extending around. the 'inner side of said wall, a plurality of curved, radial leaves extending inwardly from said groove, said leaves overlapping at their adjacent edges and forming a convex bottom for said receptacle, said leaves and said wall being adjustable to conform to the contour of a mouth roof and gum form; and means for locking said leaves and said Wall in adj usted position.

2. An adjustable dental tray for making artificial dentures comprising a receptacle, made of thin, resilient material, having a U-shaped wall and a groove extending around the inner side of said wall, a plurality of apertures in the bottom of said groove for the reception of teeth, a plurality of curved radial leaves extending inwardly from said groove, said leaves overlapping at their adjacent edges and forming a convex bottom for said receptacle, said leaves and said wall being adjustable to conform to the contour of a mouth roof and gum form; and means for locking said leaves and said wall in adjusted position.

3. An adjustable dental tray for making artificial dentures comprisinga receptacle, made of thin, resilient material, having a U-shaped Wall and a groove extending around the inner side of said wall, a plurality of apertures in the bottom of said groove for the reception of teeth, integral fingers. depending from the edges of said apertures for engaging the sides of teeth projecting through said apertures, a plurality of curved, radial leaves extending inwardly from said groove, said leaves overlapping at their adjacent edges and forming a convex bottom for said receptacle, said leaves and said wall being adjustable to conform to the contour of a mouth roof and um form; and means for locking said leaves in adjusted position.

4. An adjustable dental tray for making artificial dentures comprising a receptacle, made of thin, resilient material, having a U-shaped wall and a groove extending around the inner side of said wall, a plurality of curved, radial leaves extending inwardly from said groove, said leaves overlapping at their adjacent edges and forming a convex bottom for said receptacle, said leaves and said wall being adjustable to conform to the contour of a mouth roof and gum form; a pair of hingedly arranged, resilient jaws carried by said receptacle for engaging the inner edges of opposite sides of said leaves for clamping said leaves together, in adjusted position.

5. An adjustable dental tray for making artificial dentures according to claim 4, and including means at the outer ends of said jaws for locking said jaws together, and means engageable with said wall for locking said wall in adjusted position.

6. An adjustable dental tray for making artificial dentures according to claim 4 in which the contact areas of said resilient leaves and the contact areas of said jaws are roughened to secure said leaves and jaws against relative slipping when in contact with one another.

'7. An adjustable dental tray for making artificial dentures according to claim 4, and including a pair of transverse, threaded rods having opposed ends, and a threaded sleeve adapted to engage the threads on each of said rods to lock the opposite sides of said wall in rigid position.

JOSEPH w. ROBINSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 307,579 Palmiter Nov. 4, 1884 984,796 Burnett Feb. 21. 1911 

